Russell Brand, jailed for 10 years and six months for rape and sexual assault, has used his X account to send an odd message to Elon Musk after Meta deleted his Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Brand, found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, was sentenced on Monday. His X profile, which has 10 million followers, reshared a message from Meta two days after he was sent to HMP Wandsworth.
Meta deletes Brand's accounts
The Meta message read: "We disabled your account. You no longer have access to russellbrand." It continued: "Your account, or activity on it, doesn’t follow our Community Standards. No one can see or find your account, and you can’t use it. All your information will be permanently deleted."
It was confirmed Brand would not be able to "request another review of this decision," though previously shared information could be downloaded. Before suspension, his Instagram had over 5 million followers and Facebook had 6.2 million.
Musk's support for Brand
X owner Musk has long supported Brand, and his profile remains active on the platform. Prior to sentencing, Musk shared a graphic of Brand alongside another rapist, with quotation marks around the convictions, suggesting "potential life in jail" and writing "Unjust."
Musk has been supportive since allegations emerged in 2023, when a joint investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times, titled 'Russell Brand: In Plain Sight', detailed allegations from five women. Brand denied them, and Musk wrote: "I support Russell Brand. That man is not evil."
Sentencing and reaction
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan described Brand as a "predator" and praised the women who came forward. Politicians, including Labour's Deputy Leader Lucy Powell and the First Minister of Scotland, reacted to the case. Powell told women to "come forward" and that they will be believed. John Swinney said Brand's actions brought a "sharp focus" on violence and sexual abuse, pledging to tackle it and "to protect women and girls in Scotland."
